Airborne Beta-1,3-Glucan May Be Related to Symptoms in Sick Buildings

Airborne endotoxin and β-1,3-glucan were measured in buildings in which complaints of eye and airway irritation as well as fatigue and skin symptoms had been numerous. The presence of symptoms was evaluated using question naires. Dose-response relationships were found between levels of β-1,3-glucan and eye and throat irritation, dry cough and itching skin. The data suggest that β-1,3-glucan may be responsible for symptoms seen among persons in sick buildings.

[1]  Ingrid Ritchie,et al.  Indoor Air Pollution: A Health Perspective , 1992, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[2]  R. Sergysels,et al.  Domestic endotoxin exposure and clinical severity of asthma , 1991, Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

[3]  R. Rylander,et al.  Pulmonary function and symptoms after inhalation of endotoxin. , 1989, The American review of respiratory disease.

[4]  Alan Hedge,et al.  Sick building syndrome: A study of 4,373 office workers , 1989 .

[5]  P. Corey,et al.  Comparison of health of occupants and characteristics of houses among control homes and homes insulated with urea formaldehyde foam. I. Methodology. , 1988, Environmental research.

[6]  P. Corey,et al.  Comparison of health of occupants and characteristics of houses among control homes and homes insulated with urea formaldehyde foam. II. Initial health and house variables and exposure-response relationships. , 1988, Environmental research.

[7]  A Hedge,et al.  Comparison of health problems related to work and environmental measurements in two office buildings with different ventilation systems. , 1985, British medical journal.

[8]  C A Pickering,et al.  The sick building syndrome: prevalence studies. , 1984, British medical journal.

[9]  H. Anderson,et al.  Formaldehyde vapor in mobile homes: a cross sectional survey of concentrations and irritant effects. , 1984, American Journal of Public Health.

[10]  R. Rylander,et al.  Endotoxins and the lung: cellular reactions and risk for disease. , 1983, Progress in allergy.

[11]  D. Nr.  Lysozyme, glucan-activated macrophages and neoplasia. , 1979 .

[12]  E. R. Stephens,et al.  Eye irritation response at low concentrations of irritants. , 1966, Archives of environmental health.

[13]  H. Tamura,et al.  Removal of Limulus test-interfering factors in blood samples with perchloric acid and the improvement of the specificity of the Limulus test by fractionating amebocyte lysate. , 1987, Progress in clinical and biological research.

[14]  A Hedge,et al.  Sick building syndrome: a study of 4373 office workers. , 1987, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[15]  R Rylander,et al.  Lung diseases caused by organic dusts in the farm environment. , 1986, American journal of industrial medicine.

[16]  Health effects of organic dusts in the farm environment. Proceedings of an international workshop. Skokloster, Sweden, April 23-25, 1985. , 1986, American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

[17]  N. di Luzio.  Lysozyme, glucan-activated macrophages and neoplasia. , 1979, Journal of the Reticuloendothelial Society.

[18]  H. Kwaan,et al.  Improved sensitivity of chromogenic substrate assays for urokinase and plasmin. , 1978, Thrombosis research.

[19]  M. Joslyn,et al.  The Molecular Constitution of an Insoluble Polysaccharide from Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , 1941 .